mamajoan

In which I chronicle several experiences I've recently had in the shopping realm, which I thought you might find entertaining, edifying, thought-provoking, and/or diverting....

( The Saga of the Rug )

( Cards Against Computers )

( If The Pants Fit, Wear Them )

Today I did something I hadn't done in months: bought a loaf of bread. Yeah, well I've really been enjoying making my own, but when it's 95 degrees outside, turning on the oven doesn't seem all that attractive. alas.

I am experiencing conflicted feelings about my financial situation. ( behind this cut I shall expand on that at length. )

So, the bottom line is that I have several good reasons to feel hopeful that things will start getting better soon...and yet, I don't feel hopeful. It just seems impossible to imagine ever digging myself out of all this debt. Maybe that's just my desire for instant gratification talking.

Somehow it will all work itself out, I guess. It's just discouraging to see how fast the money disappears. Each payday comes and I'm already planning out how I'll allocate everything to make it through to the next. And I can't get over feeling how wrong it is that things are this way given the salary I make! But don't get me started on How Our Society Conspires To Keep The Single Mom Down. We'll be here all night. ;P

Hey, sorry to make my first substantive post in ages such a downer of a one. Uh, have I mentioned lately that my kids are adorable? ...yeah, I got nothin'. Try again tomorrow.

1. Dreams -- last night, something weird involving whuffle apparently trying to become a contestant on Top Chef. She served me a minuscule appetizer (like, thimble-sized) that had kiwi and some kind of pastry crust. I ate it all up and was telling her what I thought of it when someone else came along (believe it was hauntmeister, oddly enough) and was mad that I hadn't saved him any. heh.

2. Weather -- like I always say, a cliche doesn't get to be a cliche unless it has at least some truth in it; and this is the case with "It's not the heat, it's the humidity." This past weekend proved the truth of that one in spades. 'nuff said. whew.

3. Weekend -- On Saturday we went to Target (two Targets actually, but that's another story) and bought an air conditioner for the living room. Thus my guilty feelings over having our only AC in my bedroom were alleviated. Of course, then on Saturday night I realized that it seemed crazy for me and Ruthie to sleep in AC'd splendor while Isaac sweltered in his stuffy room and the new AC lay dormant. So I asked Isaac whether he'd like to sleep in the living room with the AC. He jumped at the chance, so that's what we did. Moved the mattress from his bed onto the living-room floor, hauled in the CD player so he could have his Beethoven's 5th, and he bedded down happily. It cramped my style slightly, since I usually go in there to hang out after the kids are asleep, but that's life. He slept there again last night too. I guess we'll just stick with that as long as the hot humid weather sticks around.

( what else we did this weekend )

4. Teething -- Last night I gave Ruthie a dose of ibuprofen before bed. She's been teething lately, and they seem to be coming in willy-nilly in no logical order -- and seems like a couple of molars coming in now, which are the hardest. She definitely seemed to sleep better with the drugs. note to self, stock up on drugs before our trip this weekend.

5. Potty Training -- is going quite well. Isaac is only wearing diapers overnight and at naptime now. He also wants to poop in diapers, but this weekend I finally convinced him to try pooping in the potty again, and he did!! Several times! I was very excited. ( some details -- this gets a little gross )

6. Books -- finished Slow River on Friday, started Water Logic, but decided I needed a bit of a break from fantasy/scifi, so am dipping my toe into the nonfic ocean. Now reading something called The Crossword Obsession: The History and Lore of the World's Most Popular Pastime. So far, mostly fluff, but some interesting tidbits. Expect it to get more interesting once I get to the chapter that talks about how crosswords are actually constructed.

7. Food -- I decided that one thing I want to do with my new higher income is get us eating more organic, natural, and local foods. So I bought organic milk over the weekend, except that it only came in half-gallons which isn't enough for us; and didn't realize until it was halfway gone that I had bought skim. Augh! LOL...okay, if at first I don't succeed....

8. Vermont Trip -- we leave on Friday to go up to Vermont for our family reunion. I'm excited, but also starting to get anxious about all the preparations and such. Not to mention the long car ride. yikes. Expect to hear much more about this in the next few days ;)